Device for preventing the refilling of bottles



N0 Model.)

W; H. PAYNE. DEVIGE FOR PREVENTING THE REEILLING 0P BOTTLES. No 537,712.Patented Apr. 16, 1895.

VVitnesses: Inventor. ;)amd

Atforney.

Nrrn STATES ATENT intros.

VVILLI'AM H. PAYNE, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO ZACHARIAH K.LOUOKS, J R., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEVICE FOR PREVENTING THE REFILLING OF BOTTLES.

$PZEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,712, dated April16, 1895.

' Application filed January 17, 1895- Serial No. 535,252. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forPreventing the Refilling of Bottles; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a sufficiently full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the saidinvention.

This invention relates to the protection of bottles against clandestineor unauthorized refilling, and thereby a substitution of a spu- I5 riousarticle for that with which the bottle had been filled by thoseresponsible for its contents, and consists in an arrangement hereinafterdescribed of tubular and valvular construction, a protecting guardagainst interference with the valve which is inevitably frangible by anyattempt to reach the valve, by wires or other instruments, and can bemade and applied to the bottle at low cost after it is first filled, sothat refilling without 2 5 detection becomes impracticable.

The construction and operation of this invention are hereinafter fullydescribed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure-1represents the neck of a bottle with this invention applied shown inelevation; Fig. 2, a vertical section in a central plane through Fig. 1;Fig. 3, a detached View of a tube which forms a lining for the bottle 5neck and the valve seat, and also the protecting flange covering thebottle lip. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a tube shown in Fig. 3. Fig.5'shows a protecting grate and guard combined, which prevents access byany solid object to the valve or valve seat. Fig. 6 shows a plan view ofthe grate depicted in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a cap which may be crimpedaround over the neck as a finish, and Fig. 8 is a plan view thereof.

5 1 is the neck of a bottle; 2, the lip thereof; 3, a sleeve formed ofglass, having a valve seat 4 in the contracted portion of it at thebase, and at the upper end a flange 5, which lies upon and is cementedto the lip 2 of the bottle neck 1. r 7

' the bottle.

6 is a spherical valve fitting in the valve seat 4, which it closes bygravitation.

7 isa grate formed with the, apertures iuclining inwardly.

8 is a button or guard below the grate 7, and formed integrally with itof glass, so that it is impossible for any solid object to be passedthrough the perforations 9 in the grate 7 to reach the valve 6, becausethe button or guard 8 necessarily intercepts it, and any 010- ject whichcould be applied with such force as to pass the button 8 would fracturethe button and insure detection.

10 is a cork fitting the tube in the usual manner for closing thebottle. 6

11 is the cap crimped upon the edges and placed over the flange 5 of thetube 3 and neck and lip 2, of the bottle neck 1 after having beencemented together and crimped at the point marked 12 underneath the lip2 of '70 the bottle. This cap is centrally perforated of a size slightlylarger than the internal diameter of the tube 3 at its upper end so asnot to abrade the cork 10 in opening and closing The cap 11 is notessential to the operation of this invention.

This invention is applied to bottles in the following manner: The bottleis first filled with the intendedcoutents, the ball is placed in thetube 3 and the grate 7 placed above it, and cemented with insolublecement in the tube 3 so that the ball is then inaccessible. After thisthe tube 3 and its flange 5 are cemented to the bottle neck 1 and lip 2with insoluble cement so that they may not be separated from each otherwithout the fracture of the bottle. The cement having hardened, andbeing insoluble, does notimpair the contents of the bottle, and thebottle may be readily emptied, because the ball 6 when 0 the bottle isplaced upon its side or inverted, falls away from the seat 4, but uponbeing placed in a vertical, or proximately vertical position, the ball 6again seats itself upon the seat 4, and closes the valve seat 4 and pre-5 vents any ingress of fluid. Any attempt tointroduce a flexibleinstrument to reach the ball 6, through the apertures 9 of the grate 7,is obstructed by the button or guard 8, and if such instruments areintroduced, the effect :00

tampered with, and is an evidence to protect the parties, responsiblefor the proper contents of the bottle, from liability thereafter for itscontents.

I am aware that bottle necks have been io'provided with grates above aball valve and seat therefor in conjunction with tubular constructionsof circuitous passages from the seat of the ball to the upward part ofthe neck, formed by tubes with closed caps, and per- 1 5forationsbeneath them inclosin g the ball; such tubes being in someinstances free to slide inside of the tube containing the grate andforming a valve seat within such tube; also that bottles with contractednecks and valve seats formed integrally therewith have been made,

in which valve seat a ball valve was seated,

and above which a tube was placed having lateral perforations to preventaccess to the ball; having such valve seats formed intogrally therewithfor protecting grates in the neck and held by a spring engaging in agroove within the bottle neck and margin of the grate. Such inventionsdemand specially made bottles, and are difficult of production 3 o ofproper form at any reasonable expense, be-

cause the heat required to finish the neck and in the subsequentannealing of the bottle, so softens the parts, that accuracy can only beattained in the form of the valve seats, by

5 manipulations of grinding, and treatment after the annealing of thebottle, which necessarily involves considerable expense. None of theseinventions do I claim, but

What I do claim is- 1. In a protecting device to prevent the clandestinerefilling of bottles, the centrally connected frangible guard 8 and thegrate 7 formed integrally therewith and having inwardly inclinedperforations 9 therein, in combination with the tube 3 provided with afiange'at the upper portion and a valve seat in the lower contractedend, and a valve 6,.

constructed and arranged to. operate as and for thepurpose set forth. 5

2. In a device to prevent the clandestine refilling of bottles, thegrate 7 provided with inwardly and downwardly inclined perforations, incombination with the centrally connected frangible guard 8 formedintegrally therewith and adapted to be inserted in the necks of bottlesabove an upwardly opening valve and valve seat to protect such bottlesfrom clandestine refilling substantially as set forth.

3. In a bottle protected against clandestine refilling a flanged bottleneck 1 a flanged sleeve 3 a valve seat 4, a valve '6 and cap 11 incombination with the downwardly and inwardly perforated grate 7 andcentrally connected frangible guard 8 formed integrally therewith asdescribed and shown, and arranged to operate substantially as set forth.

I WILLIAM H. PAYNE.

Witnesses:

O. R. MORGAN, S. LLOYD WIEGAND.

